The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, also known as the Leech Lake Band of Chippewa Indians or the Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (

Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

: ''Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag Ojibweg'') is an

band located in

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

and one of six making up the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. The band had 9,426 enrolled tribal members as of March 2014. The band's land base is the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, which includes eleven communities aggregated into three districts, as defined in the tribal constitution,

Government

As a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, which also includes the bands of Bois Forte, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage, Mille Lacs, and White Earth, the Leech Lake Band is governed by a tribal constitution, written following the 1934

Indian Reorganization Act The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of June 18, 1934, or the Wheeler–Howard Act, was U.S. federal legislation that dealt with the status of American Indians in the United States. It was the centerpiece of what has been often called the "Indian ...

. The tribe's constitution established a corporate system of governance with "reservation business committees," also referred to as "Reservation Tribal Councils", as the governmental body. The committees are composed of a chairperson, a secretary-treasurer, and three district representatives. The representatives are elected for four-year terms. Their elections are staggered. The current Tribal Council is as follows (with the year of next election for the position in parentheses): * Chairman Faron Jackson Sr. (2024) * Secretary/Treasurer Leonard Fineday (2026) * District I Representative Kyle Fairbanks (2026) * District II Representative Steven White (2026) * District III Representative LeRoy Staples-Fairbanks III (2024)

Socioeconomic initiatives

The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe operates three casinos: Cedar Lakes Casino and Hotel in Cass Lake on the Leech Lake Reservation; Northern Lights in

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People * Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) * Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California ...

; and White Oak in Deer River. The Band's Business Development Division also operates the Che-We-Ka-E-Gon Complex in Cass Lake, which consists of a convenience store and gas station, a gift shop, and an office supply store. Additionally, the Band operates the Northern Lights Express, a gas station near the Northern Lights Casino. The Palace Casino and Hotel was replaced by the new Cedar Lakes Casino Hotel, which opened on August 8, 2019 in Cass Lake, MN. In addition to economic initiatives, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe has founded two major educational initiatives: the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School, an open enrollment K-12 school, and Leech Lake Tribal College, which grants associate degrees. Like the

Red Lake Red Lake may refer to: Lakes Australia * Red Lake (Western Australia) Croatia * Red Lake (Croatia) (Crveno jezero) Romania *Red Lake (Romania) (Lacul Roşu) United States * Red Lake (Arizona–New Mexico) * Red Lake (Orlando), Florida *Red Lake ...

and White Earth Bands, the Leech Lake Band is known for its tradition of singing

hymns A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

in the

Ojibwe language Ojibwe , also known as Ojibwa , Ojibway, Otchipwe,R. R. Bishop Baraga, 1878''A Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language''/ref> Ojibwemowin, or Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of North America of the Algonquian la ...

Education

The tribal schools are Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School an
Leech Lake Tribal College

Notable citizens

* Dennis Banks, American Indian Movement co-founder, writer, and Indigenous issues advocate * Skip Finn (1948–2018), state senator and Ojibwe attorney * Elaine Fleming, First Anishinaabe mayor of Cass Lake, Minnesota, and Chair of Arts and Humanities at Leech Lake Tribal College * Ozaawindib, Ayaakwe, served as a guide to

Henry Rowe Schoolcraft Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (March 28, 1793 – December 10, 1864) was an American geographer, geologist, and ethnologist, noted for his early studies of Native American cultures, as well as for his 1832 expedition to the source of the Mississippi ...

* John Smith, chief, reportedly lived 137 years * Anton Treuer,

Bemidji State University Bemidji State University (BSU) is a public university in Bemidji, Minnesota. Founded as a preparatory institution for teachers in 1919, it provides higher education to north-central Minnesota. It is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Univ ...

assistant professor of Ojibwe language and author of Ojibwe histories *

David Treuer David Treuer (born 1970) (Ojibwe) is an American writer, critic and academic. As of 2019, he had published seven books; his work published in 2006 was noted as among the best of the year by several major publications. He published a book of essays ...

, author * Delina White, artist, activist, clothing designer

References

External links

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
- Official LLBO tribal government website
Leech Lake News
- Official LLBO News website
Leech Lake Tribal College
- Official LLTC website
Cass Lake/Leech Lake Community Internet
- Contains Leech Lake community journalism, blogs, calendars, classifieds and more
Cass Lake Leech Lake Issues Forum
- Online Discussion {{DEFAULTSORT:Leech Lake Band Of Ojibwe Ojibwe governments Federally recognized tribes in the United States Native American tribes in Minnesota Minnesota Chippewa Tribe